Fernando Feeling Fine

Thursday 1 August 2013 15:00

Fernando Amorebieta thinks he will adapt well to the English game as he prepares for his first season in the Barclays Premier League.

The tough-tackling defender arrived on a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao in the summer and joining the rest of his teammates on the tour of Costa Rica has made sure he has quickly found his feet at Fulham.

“I have settled down very well as, when I arrived, everyone treated me very well,” he told the official website. “That has helped me to adapt better and, since the first day, I have felt very welcome and everyone has made me feel very special. I think that was very important for me in my decision to come here.”

The Venezuela international played 45 minutes of the first game against C.S. Cartagines, then the full 90 in the 2-2 draw (5-3 win on penalties) over Deportivo Saprissa. With match minutes under his belt, he thinks the tour was most helpful in getting him fit for the new season.

“I had a complicated season last year, so it was tough for me to get used to the rhythm,” he said. “The trip to Costa Rica was so beneficial for me and, even though my English is not so good, everyone at the Club took time to understand me. The experience out there was very good and the others were very patient with me.”

As a veteran of the Spanish league, Amorebieta will face familiar opposition when we take on Real Betis at Craven Cottage on Monday, and he thinks they are a dangerous side.

“Betis is a team who like to play attacking football,” he said. “They play very well on the counter attack and always look to be dangerous in that way. If they find you sleeping a bit, they take full advantage of that.”

The 28-year-old is also sure he will be able to bed into the English game well, and thinks that his style is well suited to the Premier League.

“The main difference between La Liga and England is the rhythm,” he said. “Here it is more direct than in Spain, but I think I will adapt very well to the Premier League. My style is beneficial for the English game, otherwise I wouldn’t have made the move.

“The English style is a style of football that I have always loved, and I have followed it for a long time. I think it is the right decision for me to have made the move here. This season I want to concentrate on adapting to the team and adapting to the game over here. If I do that then I am sure I can show everyone what I can do.”